ai4bharat/Pralekha huggingface dataset:
Ministry of Defence
Lt Gen Manoj Pande relinquishes Command of Andaman & Nicobar Command
Lt Gen Manoj Pande, the 15thCommander-in-Chief of Andaman and Nicobar Command , relinquished the command of the only tri-services operational command of the Armed Forces on May 31, 2021, following his appointment as the General Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Eastern Army Command with effect from June 01, 2021. On the eve of relinquishing command, the CINCAN called on Lt Governor Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Admiral DK Joshi  to bid farewell and express gratitude to him and the Union Territory administration for the support and cooperation during his tenure at the ANC. He assured the Lt Governor that ANC will continue to extend full support to the UT administration as and when required.
In his farewell address, the CINCAN highlighted the present and emerging security challenges and complimented all ranks for maintaining a very high level of operational readiness despite the COVID pandemic. He emphasised on the importance of synergy amongst the three services and Indian Coast Guard to achieve desired operational outcome.He later inspected the Joint Forces Guard of Honour at INS Utkrosh.
Under the General Officer’s command, during this last one year, the ANC has significantly enhanced the operational preparedness and successfully conducted a number of major Tri-Service operational exercises, BrahMos missile firing and joint exercises with foreign Navies. The Command also conducted a unique joint operational exercise during the visit of President of India Shri Ram Nath Kovind in March 2021. Emphasis was also given to speed up ongoing infrastructure works at Port Blair and other outlaying stations such as Shibpur, Car Nicobar, Kamorta and Campbell Bay.The General Officer has remained at the forefront of efforts to harmonise the working relationship with civil administration and the people of the Islands.
ABB/Nampi/DK/Savvy/ADA
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Ministry of Health and Family Welfare
Steps taken to Ensure Access to Testing, Treatment and Vaccines
Under National COVID-19 Vaccination Programme, COVID-19 vaccine is available free of cost for all citizens aged 18 years and above irrespective of their socio-economic status at all Government COVID-19 Vaccination Centres . There is provision to facilitate vaccination of persons without prescribed identity cards such as migrants, seers, nomads, refugees, destitute, homeless people, beggars etc.through special sessions where 100% vaccination is done through on-site registration by the vaccinator under a prescribed procedure.
Government of India has issued advisory to all States/UTs for Near-to-Home COVID-19 Vaccination Centre  for elderly and differently abled citizens and for vaccination at the place of residence of persons who might be bed-ridden or have extremely restricted mobility or disability and/or special needs that may hamper their accessibility even to NHCVCs. From 3rd November 2021 ‘Har Ghar Dastak’ Teekakaran Abhiyan has been launched wherein missed beneficiaries for 1st dose and due beneficiaries for 2nd dose are identified and vaccinated through house-to-house activity.
Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has issued the national policy for admission of COVID patients to various categories of COVID facilities with the aim to ensure prompt, effective and comprehensive treatment of patients suffering from COVID-19.
Union Ministry of Health & Family Welfare has been in regular interaction with the States/UTs to seek continued support in terms of strict and persistent implementation of 5-fold strategy  against COVID-19.
Government of India has also significantly increased the testing capacity for Covid-19 related tests. As on 14th December 2021, more than 3,000 operational laboratories are conducting Covid tests and reporting to Indian Council of Medical Research  on RT-PCR, TruNat, CBNAAT and Other Molecular Nucleic Acid Tests for COVID-19.
Under PM-Ayushman Bharat Health Infrastructure Mission  setting up of integratedpublic health laboratories in all districts and strengthening block public health unitsin 11 high focus states has been provisioned.
The Union Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare, Dr Bharati Pravin Pawar stated this in a written reply in the Rajya Sabha today.
NITI Aayog
Second India-Russia Strategic Economic Dialogue to be held on 10 July
Focus on 6 core areas covering Finance, Transport, Agriculture, Small and Medium Business, Digital Technologies, and Tourism & Connectivity.
 shall be held on 10 July in New Delhi, under the chairmanship of Dr. Rajiv Kumar, Vice-Chairman, National Institution for Transforming India  Aayog and Mr. Timur Maksimov, Deputy Minister of the Economic Development of the Russian Federation.
The Second meeting of the IRSED shall be focussing on six core areas of cooperation, namely, Development of Transport Infrastructure and Technologies; Development of Agriculture and Agro-Processing sector; Small and Medium Business support; Digital Transformation and Frontier Technologies; Cooperation in Trade, Banking, Finance, and Industry; and Tourism & Connectivity.
The IRSED was established following a bilateral Memorandum of Understanding  signed between NITI Aayog and the Ministry of Economic Development of the Russian Federation during the 19th edition of the Annual India-Russia Bilateral Summit, which was held on October 5, 2018, in New Delhi.
The First India-Russia Strategic Economic Dialogue was held in St. Petersburg between November 25-26, 2018, and was chaired by Mr. Maxim Oreshkin, Minister of Economic Development of the Russian Federation, and Dr. Rajiv Kumar, Vice-Chairman, NITI Aayog.
Ministry of Information & Broadcasting
India Pavilion Inaugurated at Videocittà 2018 in Rome Film Festival
Co-production opportunities between India and Italy Re-energized
Mare Pyare Prime Minister: India’s Lone Entry in Rome Film Festival
India was partner country at Videocittà 2018, an event focussing on Virtual Reality, Video gaming, Animation, Film Making, etc. was organized along with Rome Film Festival and Mercato Internazionale dell'Audiovisivo  . India’s participation at Videocittà 2018, Rome was organized by Ministry of Information & Broadcasting and coordinated on Ministry’s behalf by FICCI.
Indian delegation at the Film Festival was lead by Shri Ashok Kumar Parmar, Joint Secretary, Ministry of I&B, Govt. of India, and consisted of H.E. Rennet Sandhu, Ambassador of India to Italy, Shri Senthil Rajan, OSD, International Film Festival of India, Shri Rakesh Omprakash Mehra, Filmmaker & Director, Shri Sukumar Subramanian, Head Animation, Accel Media Ventures, Shri KS Amjath Meeran, Filmmaker & Director, Shri Vivek Singhania, President & CEO, Picture Perfect, Shri Madhavan Reddy Yathan, CEO, Rotomaker, Shri Dilip Chenoy, Secretary General, FICCI. The agenda of the delegation from India this year is to showcase diversity in films of our country while furthering collaborations with various other countries.
India Pavilion at Videocittà 2018 showcased Indian films’ heritage, ease of film shooting in India, promoted film shooting locations in India, International Film Festival of India, Indian Cinema from different regions, Audio Visual Co Production between India and Italy. Daily cultural performances related to Indian classical dances, performances based Indian films, Yoga sessions, Vocal performances, screening of Indian films across regions, etc happened in the India Pavilion.
While inaugurating the India Pavilion at Videocittà, Joint Secretary , Ministry of Information & Broadcasting Shri Ashok Kumar Parmar highlighted the film heritage of India and India as the largest film making country. He also said that India is not only one of the leading countries in telling stories full of different shades of life, but also emerged as one of the destination for high end services related to filmmaking. He also pointed out that 70 years of diplomatic relationship between India and Italy provided an opportunity to re-energize the existing co-production agreements between the two countries.
Chalo Jeete Hain, Village Rockstars, Sinjar, Take off, Ladakh Chale Rickshawala, Newton, Kahaani and Queen were the Indian films screened in Videocittà, showcasing the variety and richness of Indian Cinema to the Italian audiences. Kathak, Bharatanatyam, Sufi Recitals, Yoga, Bollywood song and Dance were the cultural performances in the India Pavillion at Videocittà.
Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution
Government of India has advised all State Governments to encourage farmers for crop diversification
There exists a transparent & uniform Policy for procurement by Govt. Agencies across the country: Centre
Procurement in a State depends not only upon production but also upon other multiple factors like marketable surplus, MSP, prevailing market rate, demand & supply situation and participation of private traders etc.
The Union Minister of State for Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution and Rural Development, Ms. Sadhvi Niranjan Jyoti in a written reply to a question in Lok Sabha today informed thatthere exists a transparent & uniform Policy for procurement by Govt. Agencies across the country. There is no confusion among States regarding rice procurement policy of Government of India.
The estimates for procurement of Paddy  are finalized by Government of India in consultation with State Governments, Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare  and Food Corporation of India, before the commencement of each marketing season based upon estimated production, marketable surplus and agricultural crop pattern– July/Aug for Kharif and Feb/March for Rabi crops etc.
Procurement in a State depends not only upon production but also upon other multiple factors like marketable surplus, MSP, prevailing market rate, demand & supply situation and participation of private traders etc.
Ratio of procurement to production varies from State to State depending upon actual marketable surplus quantity which is deduced after factoring consumption in the state based upon local eating habits, varieties grown which may be suitable for local taste and/or commanding higher market price, export of rice from State to International market and trading in the country etc.
In any state only net marketable surplus quantity is offered by the farmers.
Production vis-à-vis procurement  for the last three years is depicted as under:-
|
|
KMS
|
|
Production

|
|
Procurement

|
|
2018-19
|
|
1164.78
|
|
443.99
|
|
2019-20
|
|
1188.70
|
|
518.26
|
|
2020-21
|
|
1222.65
|
|
600.74
From the above, it is observed that pace of procurement has been increasing continuously in comparison to pace of production which indicates increased outreach of Minimum Support Price operations to farmers.
Government of India has advised all State Governments to encourage farmers for crop diversification. Moreover, Government of India has substantially increased Minimum Support Price of pulses / oilseeds / millets so as to encourage / incentivize the farmers to maximize sowing of such crops and to get the remunerative prices.
Interest of farmers are always protected by Government of India as outreach and volume of procurement has been increasing over years, thereby percolating the benefit of MSP to large number of farmers.
Ministry of Health and Family Welfare
COVID19 Update
Sentinel sequencing of 324 COVID Positive Samples reveals presence of all Omicron Variants in Community
No mortality or rise in transmission reported in areas where these variants were detected
Since 29th December, 2022 to 7th January, 2023, Integrated Disease Surveillance Program  sentinel sites referred 324 COVID19 positive samples for sequencing to 22 INSACOG labs. Sentinel sequencing of these positive samples lifted from the community revealed presence of all the omicron variants like BA.2 and its sub-lineages including BA.2.75, XBB , BQ.1 & BQ.1.1 , etc. No mortality or rise in transmission were reported in the areas where these variants were detected.
Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has initiated random testing of international travelers arriving at various Airports from 24th of December, 2022. Since then, 13,57,243 International passengers arrived in India from 7786 flights at various airports out of which 29,113 randomly selected passengers were tested by RT-PCR. A total of 183 samples were found positive which were subsequently sent for whole genome sequencing to 13 INSACOG labs. Sequencing of 50 samples revealed omicron and omicron sub-lineages including recombinant variants. XBB , BQ.1.1  and BF7.4.1  were the main variants detected in these samples of international passengers.
Union Health Ministry is keeping a close watch on the COVID19 situation in various States through the IDSP network particularly on the transmission and hospitalization trends.
Ministry of Coal
Substantial Decrease in Coal Price; National Coal Index declines by 33.8%
Impressive Coal Stock Ensures Sufficient Supply to Various Sectors
The National Coal Index  has shown a significant decline of 33.8% in May 2023 at 157.7 points compared to May 2022, where it was at 238.3 points, which indicates a strong supply of coal in the market, with sufficient availability to meet the growing demands.
Similarly, the NCI for non-coking coal stands at 147.5 points in May 2023, reflecting a decline of 34.3% compared to May 2022, while coking coal index stands at 187.1 points in May 2023, with a decline of 32.6%. The peak of NCI was observed in June 2022 when the index reached 238.8 points. However, subsequent months have experienced a decline, indicative of abundant coal availability in the Indian market.
The National Coal Index  is a price index that combines coal prices from all sales channels, including notified prices, auction prices and import prices. Established with the base year as fiscal year 2017-18, it serves as a reliable indicator of market dynamics, providing valuable insights into coal price fluctuations.
Additionally, the premium on coal auctions indicates the pulse of the industry, and the sharp decline in coal auction premiums confirms sufficient coal availability in the market. India's coal industry affirms a substantial stockpile, with coal companies holding impressive stock. This availability ensures a stable supply for various sectors dependent on coal, significantly contributing to the overall energy security of the nation.
The downward trend in the NCI signifies a more balanced market, aligning supply and demand. With sufficient coal availability, the nation can not only meet the growing demand but also support its long-term energy requirements, thus building a more resilient and sustainable coal industry.
Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs
SUSTAINABLE METHODS AND TECHNOLOGIES
The Government has been making concerted efforts towards adopting new and emerging building materials and technologies in construction sector.
Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs has initiated Global Housing Technology Challenge – India  and undertaken six distinct construction technology for six light house projects across the country to showcase these technologies for widespread adoption throughout the country. Under the scheme of PMAY  around 17 lacs houses are under construction based on new technologies. These technologies have been proven to be resource-efficient, climate-responsive, disaster-resilient, eco-friendly and energy-efficient leading to speedy construction as well as sustainable development.
During the process of GHTC-India, a Technical Evaluation Committee  of MoHUA identified 54 Innovative Construction Technologies which were shortlisted as per their suitability of construction in different geo-climatic regions of the country.
Performance Appraisal Certification Scheme  is being operated for Identification, Evaluation and Certification of Emerging Technologies suiting to different geo-climatic conditions of the country. Under PACS, so far 82 innovative products and systems have been certified.
This information was given by the Minister of State for Housing & Urban Affairs, Shri Kaushal Kishore, in a written reply in the Lok Sabha today.
AYUSH
Ayush Minister Shri Sarbananda Sonowal and MoS Munjpara Mahedrabhai reach the AYUSH pavilion at India International Trade Fair
- Took a taste of the AYUSH diet; Stressed on the importance of the AYUSH system of medicine to stay healthy
- Ministers purchased Bal Raksha Kit, immunity booster for children against Covid-19
Union Minister of Ayush and Ports, Shipping and Waterways, Shri Sarbananda Sonowal, and Minister of State for Ayush and Women and Child Development, Dr. Munjpara Mahendrabhai, visited the Ayush Minsitry’s pavilion in Hall No. 10 of the India International Trade Fair  2021, at Pragati Maidan today.
Both the ministers inspected the arrangements at the pavilion, visited various Ayush stalls put up by different institutes and research bodies under the Ministry and interacted with health practitioners of various streams, yoga experts and people who were present at the fair.
They also purchased the Bal Raksha Kit, immunity booster for children against Covid-19, and some other Ayush medicines, giving the message to the public to adopt traditional Indian medicines.
They tasted the nutritious and delicious foods items displayed at Ayurveda, Unani and Siddha stalls such as Murabba-e Amla, Harira, Unani Kahwa and Halwa Gheekar at Unani's stall, Bhringraj Chocolate, Roasted Chana and Black Sesame Ladoo at the stall of Siddha, Nutritious cookies at the stall of National Institute of Ayurveda and Veg Poha, Sesame Laddu, Carrot Rice and Roasted Chana, Paneer Dry Curry at the stall of Central Council for Research in Yoga and Naturopathy. They also tasted the Fenugreek Rice and Mix Sprout Salad etc.
The ministers were accompanied by Ayush Secretary, Vaidya Rajesh Kotecha, Special Secretary , Pramod Kumar Pathak and other senior officials.
Organised in the 75th year of Independence under the 'Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav’ initiative, the India international Trade Fair this year is based on the theme of a 'Self-reliant India'. The fair started on November 14 and will continue till November 27.
SK
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Ministry of Information & Broadcasting
IFFI 53, Where Art Meets Accessibility
FTII Offers Free Courses for Persons with Disabilities at IFFI 53
#IFFIWOOD, 10th November 2022
Film and Television Institute of India , Pune, under its Centre for Open Learning  initiative, National Film Development Corporation  and Entertainment Society of Goa  have announced two free courses for persons with disabilities as part of the 53rd edition of International Film Festival of India scheduled to be held from November 20 to 28 in Goa. A basic course in smartphone film making for people with Autism and a basic course in screen acting for people in wheelchairs are what is on offer at IFFI 53
With an objective to ensure that the process of creating art becomes accessible to all, FTII has been conducting a variety of courses to empower persons with disabilities to participate and excel in the magic of cinema. The courses at IFFI 53 are 8 days long and would run from November 21-November 28. While one course aims to mould participants into modern day auteurs, the other seeks to unleash their inner actors
The basic course in smartphone film making for individuals with autism will be taught by Ajmal Jami, a reputed professional in the field of visual communication. He has garnered multiple awards in a range of fields, spanning from reporting from war zones and conflict areas to documentaries, promotional films, soft features and shows. As Cinematographer, Filmmaker and Photographer, he has worked on prestigious projects for organisations of national and international repute
The course will feature multiple modules starting from introduction to the language of cinema to shooting and editing on smartphones. The module will have also have a screening and review session at the end. For details and registration, follow this link to the official FTII website:https://www.ftii.ac.in/p/vtwa/basic-course-in-smartphone-film-making-21st-28th-november-2022-for-individuals-suffering-from-autism-in-goa
The basic course in screen acting for individuals in wheelchairs will be taught by Jijoy P. R. He is in-charge Dean  and Associate Professor, Acting at Film and Television Institute of India, Pune. A theatre artist, film actor, trainer and producer Jijoy has performed in 55 Films, and nearly 400 International Theatre shows across 4 continents.
The acting course has 6 modules, beginning with an introduction to natyashastra. The course also lays special emphasis on the hasya rasa or comedy. Movement, acting games and sense awareness games focusing on breaking down inhibitions are other highlights of the course. For details and registration, visit : https://www.ftii.ac.in/p/vtwa/basic-course-in-screen-acting-21st-to-28th-november-2022-for-individuals-on-wheelchair-in-goa
Both courses are being conducted at the Art Gallery, at Maquinez Palace in Goa
Ministry of Jal Shakti
More than one crore rural households in Maharashtra have access to tap water supply
53 lakh rural households in Maharashtra benefitted from Jal Jeevan Mission - Har Ghar Jal
New Delhi/Mumbai, 28 March 2022
Out of a total 146.09 lakh rural households in Maharashtra, provision of tap water supply has been made to 101.89 lakh  households. This has been stated in data obtained last week .
Since August 2019, Government of India in partnership with States, is implementing Jal Jeevan Mission  – Har Ghar Jal to make provision of tap water supply to every rural household by 2024. At the time of announcement of Jal Jeevan Mission, 48.44 lakh  rural households were reported to have tap water connections in Maharashtra. Since then, tap water connections has been provided to additional 53.46 lakh  rural households in the state.
State Government of Maharashtra has planned to provide portable tap water connections to all rural households of Maharashtra by 2024.
The details of Central grant allocated to Maharashtra and drawn by the State Government and reported utilization under JJM for 2021-22 , are as follows:

|
|
Year
|
|
Central Share
|
|
Expenditure under State share
|
|
Opening Balance
|
|
Budget allocation
|
|
Fund drawn by the State
|
|
Total available fund
|
|
Reported utilization
|
|
2021-22
|
|
268.99
|
|
7,064.41
|
|
1,666.64
|
|
1,935.63
|
|
293.32
|
|
361.72
District-wise details of progress made in the Maharashtra under the Jal Jeevan Mission along with the percentage is in public domain on JJM Dashboard and can be accessed at: https://ejalshakti.gov.in/jjmreport/JJMIndia.aspx.
This has been stated by the Minister of State for Jal Shakti Shri Prahlad Singh Patel in the Rajya Sabha today, in reply to a parliamentary question.
Jalgaon district has achieved 100% Functional Household Tap Connections , while Jalna, Dhule and Nagpur have made more than 90% progress in this work, followed by Solapur, Nagpur and Buldhana taking tap water connections to more than 80% households.PIB Mumbai | DJM/SC/DR
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